The majority of seats from the planned expansion to Beaver Stadium will be allocated to Nittany Lion Club members, said Kay Kustanbauter, executive director of the Nittany Lion Club.

"The way we reward (the members) is by letting them have first preference on football tickets," she said.

Athletic Department officials announced Monday plans for a 9,200-seat addition to the stadium, tentatively scheduled for completion by the 1990 football season.

The Nittany Lion Club consists of University alumni and others who provide financial support to the University's intercollegiate athletic program. The organization has contributed more than $3 million annually.

"Nittany Lion Club contributions pay for all athletic scholarships," said Athletic Director Jim Tarman, adding that they also contribute to the financial budget of the athletic program.

The seats, planned for the east and west sides of the stadium, are considered "preferred seating," Tarman said.

One of the benefits of the Nittany Lion Club is first access to the "preferred seating," Kustanbauter said. The organization has a point system whereby it determines priority ranking within the club and the "pecking order" for tickets, she said.

In the past, new members of the club have not been able to get season passes due to the unavailability of tickets, Kustanbauter said, adding that present Nittany Lion Club members may be able to "upgrade" their season passes with the new seating.

"Some Nittany Lion Club members are currently sitting in the endzones," she said. "They would have their requests for looked at first."

As it stands now, football ticket distribution at Beaver Stadium is divided as follows: 20,276 for students, 2,688 for faculty/staff, 3,000 for sale on an individual game basis, 5,000 for visiting team fans, and 52,193 for alumni, public and staff and administrators of the Penn State Intercollegiate Athletic Program, a pamphlet prepared by the Nittany Lion Club states.

The group currently has more than 14,000 members, Kustanbauter said.

Club members have the option of contributing to any sport in the program which is not self-supporting, Tarman said, adding that the football team is the only sport that supports itself. In an effort to raise additional financial support for the athletic program, prices for season football tickets -- except student tickets -- were raised.

The ticket price increase is totally independent of the Beaver Stadium seating increase, Tarman said.